linkstream2 microblog

In-tense Robots http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/pub/2015/4/in-tense-robots to move they use adjustments in #tensegrity structures – tubes under compression & stretched cables

http://www.forbes.com/sites/luketimmerman/2015/10/03/six-themes-to-watch-at-next-weeks-big-human-genetics-event/

http://www.economist.com/news/science-brief/21662484-fourth-our-series-articles-scientific-mysteries-we-ask-why-mere-542m

A Dying Young Woman’s Hope in Cryonics & a Future http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/13/us/cancer-immortality-cryogenics.html Glioma sufferer opts for $80K Alcor crowdfunded, brain preservation

QT:{{"

“If the $80,000 fee for neuropreservation seemed steep, they learned that about a third of it pays for medical personnel to be on call for death, while another third is placed in a trust for future revival. The investment income from the trust also pays for storage in liquid nitrogen, which is so cold that it can prevent decay in biological tissue for millenniums.

Some of what they found out gave them pause. Alcor’s antifreeze, once pumped through the blood vessels, transitions into a glassy substance before ice can form and do damage. The process, called vitrification, is similar to that used to store sperm, eggs and embryos for fertility treatments. But that glassy substance has been known to crack, likely causing damage of a different kind.

"}}

John Horton Conway: the world’s most charismatic #mathematician
http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/jul/23/john-horton-conway-the-most-charismatic-mathematician-in-the-world Floccinaucinihilipilification is his favourite word

#Eye Shape May Help Distinguish Predator From Prey
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/08/science/eye-shape-may-help-distinguish-predator-from-prey.html Vertical v horzonital slits, resp., for depth v field-of-view

QT:{{”
“Why do the eyes of some animals, including goats, have
horizontal-shaped pupils, while others, such as rattlesnakes and domestic cats, have vertical slits?

It is a question that has longed intrigued researchers, and a study of 214 species published Friday suggests the answer may be strongly linked to giving animals a survival edge: vertical pupils and circular pupils help certain predators hunt, while horizontal pupils help other species spot predators from afar.”
“}}

Science Isn’t Broken by @cragcrest
http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/science-isnt-broken Great (but cynical) description of “p-hacking” & “researcher degrees of freedom”

Modern Lessons from [reconstructing] Ancient Food Webs http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/feature/2015/3/modern-lessons-from-ancient-food-webs/1 Overall #network structure (eg degree dist.) fairly invariant

The #Fatigue Conundrum
http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/feature/2015/3/the-fatigue-conundrum/99999 Safety v cost cutting: ~”Delta saved $250k/yr by
shaving an oz from each steak it served”

QT:{{”
Such narrow profit margins, coupled with volatile fuel prices (which today account for up to 40 percent of operating expenses as compared with only 15 percent a few decades ago), mean that airlines are continuously looking for ways to cut costs. According to a report in the New York Times, Delta Airlines saved $250,000 in one year by shaving an ounce from each of the steaks it served on board, whereas American Airlines is said to have saved $40,000 a year by removing a single olive from every salad it served to passengers.
“}}

Big myth about medicine: We know how #drugs work
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/07/23/one-big-myth-about-medicine-we-know-how-drugs-work “If you only half-know something, you can appreciate serendipity”
QT:{{“

If you think you’re too smart and you only do what is scientifically indicated, there’s always going to be something, ‘Oh my God, we never thought of that!’” Haber said. “If you half-know what you’re doing, then you’re better prepared to understand or appreciate discoveries that are serendipitous in some way.”

A 2011 study reviewed a decade worth of drug approvals found that of 75 drugs that worked in a completely new way, 28 came from the more old-fashioned method of screening drugs against cells or animals, and 17 were built from detailed understanding of how the disease worked. David Swinney of the Institute for Rare and Neglected Diseases Drug Discovery said that despite the fact that far more resources are devoted to developing drugs by focusing on targets, the older method of screening has been more productive by his analysis.”
“}}